My Darling Dear, My Daisy Flower
by John Skelton (1460-1529)
With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled.
My darling dear, my daisy flower,
Let me, quod he, lie in your lap.
Lie still, quod she, my paramour,
Lie still, hardely, and take a nap.
His head was heavy, such was his hap,
All drowsy dreaming, drowned in sleep,
That of his love he took no keep.
With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled.
With ba, ba, ba! and bas, bas, bas!
She cherished him, both cheek and chin,
That he wist never where he was;
He had forgotten all deadly sin.
He wanted wit her love to win,
He trusted her payment and lost all his prey;
She left him sleeping and stale away.
With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled.
The rivers rough, the waters wan,
She sparèd not to wet her feet;
She waded over, she found a man
That halséd her heartily and kissed her sweet:
Thus after her cold she caught a heat.
My love, she said, routeth in his bed;
Ywis he hath a heavy head.
With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled.
What dreamest thou, drunkard, drowsy pate?
Thy lust and liking is from thee gone.
Thou blinkard blowbowl, thou wakest too late:
Behold thou liest, luggard, alone!
Well may thou sigh, well may thou groan,
To deal with her so cowardly.
Ywis, pole hatchet, she bleared thine eye.
With lullay, lullay, like a child,
Thou sleepest too long, thou art beguiled.
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